Made in the mid-1950s or early 1960s, FIELDS OF THE FUTURE shows off the work of North American Aviation, a major American aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service Module, the second stage of the Saturn V rocket, the Space Shuttle orbiter and the B-1 Lancer.
The film begins by showing Los Angeles World Airport LAX, and the North American factory. The film shows various aircraft produced by NAA including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 / F-51 Mustang, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the B-45 Tornado jet bomber, the F-86 Sabrejet, the AJ-1 Savage (3:49) designed to carry a nuclear bomb, and the FJ-1 Fury (4:00) — first jet to land on a carrier at sea. At 4:08 the F-86D is shown firing rockets, and the F-100 Super Sabre is shown. At 5:50 the drawing boards at the factory are shown where research, design and testing is shown.
Through a series of mergers and sales, North American Aviation became part of North American Rockwell, which later became Rockwell International and is now part of Boeing. At 6:14 the famous neon sign of the company is shown, and at 6:20 the X-15 rocket plane is shown. At 7:12 Zero Length Launch of an F-100 is shown. At 7:28 the T-39 Sabreliner is shown. And at 7:46 the XB-70 Valkerie is shown being designed.
At 8:50 various sections of the factory are shown including “Atomic Energy Research.” At 9:16 the Missile Division is seen, Autonetics, and Rocketdyne division. At 10:11 an airborne digital computer is discussed by two engineers. At 10:52 transistorized guidance systems are shown and gyros. At 11:12 precision is discussed. At 11:55 Autonetics guidance packages are shown. At 12:11 a portable computer designed by Autonetics is shown. This is likely a Recomp 501 Digital Computer. The Autonetics RECOMP II was an early transistorized computer attached to a desk that housed the input/output devices. It was introduced by the Autonetics division of North American Aviation in 1958. Its desk integration made it a hands-on small system intended for the scientific and engineering computing market. Computer weighed about 197 pounds (89 kg), 400 pounds (180 kg) including input-output.
At 12:27 the navigation systems or inertial guidance systems used on board the submarines Skate, Sargo and Nautilus are discussed.
At 13:35, a Japanese woman types at a typewriter, epitomizing the international clientele of North American’s Atomics International. At 14:00, the nuclear reactor systems of NAA is shown. Atomics International was a division of North American Aviation which began as the Atomic Energy Research Department at the Downey plant in 1948. In 1955, the department was renamed Atomics International and engaged principally in the early development of nuclear technology and nuclear reactors for both commercial and government applications. Atomics International was responsible for a number of accomplishments relating to nuclear energy: design, construction and operation of the first nuclear reactor in California (a small aqueous homogeneous reactor located at the NAA Downey plant), the first nuclear reactor to produce power for a commercial power grid in the United States (the Sodium Reactor Experiment located at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory) and the first nuclear reactor launched into outer space by the United States (the SNAP-10A).At 14:55 a compact reactor is shown, designed for use in space as part of the Atomic Energy Commission’s space program. At 15;25 a hot cell is shown where radioactive components can be examined.
At 16:25 the Columbus Ohio Division is shown. Various aircraft produced at Columbus are shown as well as R&D projects. At 17:00 a Hufford metal shaping machine is shown in use to create aircraft parts. At 17:29 a test antenna for radio astronomy is shown. At 17:46 a huge geodesic dome is shown for the American Society of Metal. At 18:00 an ejection seat is tested on a rocket sled.
At 18:40 the company’s Missile Division is shown. SM-64 Navaho missiles are seen. At 19:40 an anti-aircraft missile is shown. NAA produced the AGM-28 Hound Dog, Little Joe, and the NATIV. At 20:28 the Rocketdyne Division is shown. At 21:27 a Redstone rocket launch is shown as well a Thor and Jupiter. At 23:00 the Macgregor Texas launch facility is shown where an F-100 is launched from a zero length launcher. At 24:21 rocket test stands at Edwards AFB are seen.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
